Snaps from the Field
(Please click on any picture to enlarge)
Angie and Claire at Parliament, on the day Parliament passed three bills for women’s rights on domestic violence, early marriage and inheritance. About 150 women from a variety of national and community women’s groups attended, dressed in white to represent peace. Photo taken by Sara Terry. (Freetown)
The next several pictures were taken at Devil’s Hole, a village right outside of Freetown. We met with 24 former combatants for an afternoon and spoke to them about their experiences with the war. Photo taken by Sara Terry.
We split into two smaller groups as the former combatants graciously shared their stories with us. Photo taken by Sara Terry. (Devil Hole)
Miriam, pictured here with her younger daughter, was taken as the wife of a commander during the war; she was one of his five wives. She was pregnant with a child from the rebel soldier when she was rescued from their stronghold. She returned to Kissy, her hometown, after she was released, only to be publicly shunned due to her association with the rebels. She was forced to leave and found her way to Devil Hole to live with her uncle. She now lives there with her two daughter and working the agricultural field. Photo taken by Sara Terry. (Devil Hole)
This is Miriam’s daughter, who was fathered by a rebel commander. Although there is a great social stigma in Sierra Leone again “rebel babies”, children fathered by rebels and born to girls who were taken as “wives”, she has been fully accepted into the Devil Hole community. Photo taken by Sara Terry. (Devil Hole)
Tamba spent 7 years with the RUF in the bush. He became the 2nd highest commander in Makeni–an RUF stronghold. During his escape from the rebels, he took 5 other younger combatants with him. Today, he continues to pay their way through schooling and vocational training. He is now married with two kids. He said that he finds the greatest sense of peace when he his with his children. Photo taken by Sara Terry. (Devil Hole)
Tamba helped Osman (pictured above) escape from the RUF in 2001. Osman is learning how to drive and is getting certified to be a driver in town. He was 10 years old when he was captured by the rebels and forced to fight. He loves 50 cent, Usher, and Salone (Sierra Leonean) hip hop. Photo taken by Sara Terry. (Devil Hole)
This picture was taken at the house of Tamba Ngauja. Tamba was the first amputee in the war in 1991. He now lives with his family in a small village right outside of Freetown. We spent the day interviewing him, talking with his children, and hearing about his journey towards healing and reconciliation. He said he can forgive his perpetrators, and indeed he has publicly at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, but until he receives economic reparations as promised from the government, he will not be fully healed. If you want to read more about Tamba’s story read Claire’s blog, “Reconciliation is not an event, it is a process,” or our Op-Ed for the Christian Science Monitor, also posted in the blog section. Photo taken by Sara Terry. (Devil Hole)
John is Tamba Ngauja’s youngest son, his two older sons are pictured in the background. Angie took this picture. (Freetown)
Claire is playing with Tamba Ngauja’s baby girl. Angie took this picture. (Freetown)
FiFi is the youngest Ngauja. Angie took this picture. (Freetown)
Angie learned about the school system, Sierra Leonean music, and Krio phrases from Tamba’s kids. Lucy, Tamba Ngoujah’s eldest daughte, took this picture; she is 17 and hopes to study biochemistry at the university level. (Freetown)
Claire is pictured here with FiFi. Lucy took this picture. (Freetown)
Angie is with Tamba’s children. Lucy took this photo. (Freetown)
This is a picture of the internet table at the International Rescue Committee Office in Koidu. Koidu is in the Kono District and is well known for its diamond and gold mining, and fertile soil. Needless to say, we had much trouble finding internet in this part of the country! Angie took this photo. (Koidu)
This is a picture of corn growing in a house that was burned down during the war. Koidu was absolutely demolished during the war - not a house, hospital or building was left standing. It was pure devastation to walk through the town, as the majority in Koidu try to live in remains of burned houses — they find shelter from the rain by putting a tarp or a few zinc slates over one room of the structure. The pictures below further illustrate the conditions of the town. Angie took this photo. (Koidu)
Koidu — photo taken by Angie.
Koidu — photo taken by Angie.
Koidu — photo taken by Angie.
In Koidu, we met with young women who were working with the Progressive Women’s Alliance, PROWA. PROWA was established to give young women skills training, a sense of community, and aided in their rehabilitation process. For many young women after the war, they had no option but to live on the streets, often earning money through prostitution. Because they were captured as sex slaves by the RUF, and not “fighters,” the majority were excluded from the formal Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Process. They are also rejected from their communities and families because many were impregnated and now have children from the rebels. We heard their stories and Claire and I spent the day with them in the salon and tailoring stores. Despite the severe trauma they have faced and continue to face, they were full of life and love. Photo taken by Angie.
Outside of the PROWA building: learning hairdressing. (Koidu)
PROWA salon–Angie took this photo. (Koidu)
The majority of the girls were captured when they were as young as 8 or 9. The young woman in the back of this photo is 26 years old. She was taken by the rebels when she was 10 or 11. This is a small part of her story:
“I was a very small child when they first captured me. They made me their wife. It was very hard, they made me cook and clean and we were always running and my legs were swelling. I saw the rebels kill my Mama and my Papa, but they took me. The rebels captured me and I was in the bush for 9 years. That is where I had 2 children. They are 7 and 9. The rebels are the fathers from rape. It was very hard, but thank God, I didn’t think I would live, but Thank God. And I took my kids out of the bush and now they are even in school. I hope that you share these stories so people will help.”
PROWA salon and hairdressing school. More than the skills training, PROWA is a space where the women can come together, find community and share with one another. The sense of sisterhood felt in the short time Claire and I were there was profound. There is hope in their support and love for one another as they try to heal themselves and provide for their families. Angie took this photo. (Koidu)
PROWA tailoring. Angie and Claire had shirts made from the girls. Photo by Angie. (Koidu)
We traveled out of Koidu to a small village called Tombudu in the Kono District. Everything in the village except for a mosque and a church was burned during the war. The village was small and met with the Paramount Chief. This was also the same village where the Rose of Sierra Leone was found. This picture was taken at “Savage Pit.” Today, it looks like a small pond or lake, but it was used as a mass grave by a notorious rebel commander whose “bush name” was “Savage.” We spoke with the principal and community leaders there about reconciliation and healing when unimaginable atrocities like these take place:
“We have been told to forgive, but we will not forget. How can you forget with all the ruins from the war? Everything here was destroyed except for one house, one mosque and one church. How can you forget? We will always reflect our mind on what happened and at times you think about it and its hard to accept. We saw the houses burned down, we saw the killings…We won’t take revenge because we want peace, but forgiveness, really really it is difficult…Here in Savage Pit it is named after “Savage” a Commander in the RUF. 400 people were thrown in here. Some days he would say, “just bring me 10 heads” Or just bring me 2 heads, whatever he wanted to throw in the pit. Forgiveness is difficult to define. You must accept it, but really really, it is difficult.” Principal Koroma
Photo taken by Angie.
This was an evening picture taken from the porch at Uncle Ben’s Guest House. The African skies are breathtaking. (Koidu)
Photo taken by Angie
Our favorite place: Uncle Ben’s Guest house! (Koidu)
Photo taken by Angie
The following pictures are familiar faces we passed (and befriended) on our walks through Koidu from Uncle Ben’s Guest House. The photos were taken by Claire:
We met Tennay at PROWA. She was a beautiful young woman who had, like all of the women we met with, been severely traumatized during the war. She had lost both of her parents and lived on the streets before she came to PROWA.
Claire with Tennay.
Fatmata is the mother of four. Her husband has recently left her because of the stigma around her for being captured by the rebels. Today she is trying to feed her family through by farming.
Esther was captured during the war when she was a small girl and had children in the bush. She lost both of her parents during the war. We met her in a “palava hut” a small circular hut that usually sits in the center of the villages and used for community meetings, conflicts and gatherings.
This is the Paramount Chief in Tombudu. We presented him with kola nuts in a bowl of water as a sign of peace and respect.
This picture was taken in an amputee camp outside of Makeni. Children are everywhere and more than excited to meet new faces.
This picture was taken in Binkolo during a poetry session with young girl mothers.
Angie helped read the poems that were translated into english.
Binkolo girl mothers.
Mohamed Jalloh the Second. Also known as Pa Jalloh or Bobo Jalloh. Mohamed is our driver–one of a kind–and is always there ready to provide comic relief and a listening ear.
Scenes of Freetown…
Photos Taken by Angie:
From the veranda at the Cabenda Hotel
View of Freetown
Rainbow from Lumley Beach